Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Webby the Bear on 07 November 2011, 21:29:29
-
hi all,
anyone been on one? ive been reading all the gen help section and gen car chat trying to get myself as much knowledge as possible (with some success) but is there a college course available? obviously dont want a full time course as i work but a night or two a week.
any suggestions? :y
-
Best off reading all the posts in Maint Guides and FAQ, esp those that MarksDTM wrote about Engine Management and related sensors as a starter for 10
-
To be quite honest, its pretty easy once you grasp the workings of a modern engine.....they all work the same way ;)
Sadly, its this basic understanding that most modern mechanics dont understand!
-
Best off reading all the posts in Maint Guides and FAQ, esp those that MarksDTM wrote about Engine Management and related sensors as a starter for 10
very true mate and i have read a lot in there as they are very very easy to understand. kinda wanted to get a bit hands on though :D :y kind of a bit of a guiding hand whilst doing it if you know what i mean :y
-
Pretty sure evening college courses are available.If you signed up for one and then do as suggested - swot up on guides (especially the theory guides by MDTM) - it shouldnt be too difficult to be top of the class in a short time. :y
-
There are sometimes courses in the evenings, do tresham do anything?
Just checked, they have the school for motorsport!
-
Sadly, its this basic understanding that most modern mechanics dont understand!
So very true.
Webby, I know they run courses at various universities & colleges - someone I know applied for one of the adult courses at Leeds Tec, the only sticking point is that a course was £3500..
-
To be quite honest, its pretty easy once you grasp the workings of a modern engine.....they all work the same way ;)
Sadly, its this basic understanding that most modern mechanics dont understand!
pretty much what i was looking for. would also be interesting to know how other knowledgable folk got in to it? :y :y :y
-
Simple engineers curiosity in my case with the tech detail....its all very logical
-
cheers all.
£3500 :o :o :o :o i think id rather print off the oof manual and buy a cheap omega and strip it and put it back together... id learn something then ;D ;D ;D
-
Not actualy a bad idea.....you can learn a lot from an old car
-
To be fair the £3500 was for a bodywork course - including proper old fashioned panel shaping, beating, wheeling etc.. you'd probably get through more than £3500s worth of materials ;) Their 'mechanicals' courses are probably cheaper.
pretty much what i was looking for. would also be interesting to know how other knowledgable folk got in to it? :y :y :y
I read. I read. I read some more. Then I screwed around with simple cars (like the Renault 5 GT Turbo, or the Austin Allegro before it). I broke stuff. I fixed it. I read. I read. I read some more.. eventually it all started making sense :y as with Mark, curiosity and a desire to learn :)
-
Not actualy a bad idea.....you can learn a lot from an old car
I certainly did! Though I'd suggest something older & simpler than an Omega.. something with carbs, and a distributor, and old fashioned technology like the old A series engine..
-
Not actualy a bad idea.....you can learn a lot from an old car
I was going to suggest something along those lines........ :y
-
To be honest, I wouldn't.
You wont see a carb or dizzy these days and the modern stuff is no more harder realy
-
But it's much easier to fiddle with, IMHO anyway, and try things out.. like.. what happens when I add 2 degrees of static timing, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, oops back it off a bit..
You can't do that with an EFI car (well, not easily, anyway).. and they hide so much of the 'basics' of internal combustion engines from you.
-
To be honest, I wouldn't.
You wont see a carb or dizzy these days and the modern stuff is no more harder realy
maybe buying a miggy that is breaked. and seeing if i can get it working but that sounds massive for me TBH. Although as youve all said it wouldnt matter if i nackered it as itys already nackered ;D
-
But it's much easier to fiddle with, IMHO anyway, and try things out.. like.. what happens when I add 2 degrees of static timing, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, oops back it off a bit..
You can't do that with an EFI car (well, not easily, anyway).. and they hide so much of the 'basics' of internal combustion engines from you.
But he'll struggle to find a car on the roads nowadays to fix... carburettor, what's one of them then?
-
But it's much easier to fiddle with, IMHO anyway, and try things out.. like.. what happens when I add 2 degrees of static timing, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, oops back it off a bit..
You can't do that with an EFI car (well, not easily, anyway).. and they hide so much of the 'basics' of internal combustion engines from you.
Yes but the cost of on old engine and the real learning is not that much better imho, what you need to knwo these days is the operation of DOHC, multi valves etc etc
-
But he'll struggle to find a car on the roads nowadays to fix... carburettor, what's one of them then?
There's one sat on an engine not 20ft from me right now ;)
Yes but the cost of on old engine and the real learning is not that much better imho, what you need to knwo these days is the operation of DOHC, multi valves etc etc
True enough.. I just wonder if the problem with modern 'mechanics' at dealers is that they've grown up with cars like this - cars that "tell you what's wrong" with their little computer.. Except, of course, we know they don't - the computer requires interpretation, which is easier if you really understand the underpinnings of what makes an engine tick..
Perhaps I'm just stuck in the past :) (See earlier comment re: a carb sitting not 20ft from me ;D)
-
On the contrary aaronjb, I think the problem with modern garages is they have mechanics who can't deal with modern systems, and only know the 'well known' A series engines...
-
I've never had ANY formal training in vehicle repairs or maintenance yet now, after spending 17 years driving a van for a living, I operate as a self employed mobile mechanic. Half of today was spent fitting a replacement diff and prop-shaft into a Customers Freelander, I've also just replaced the clutch on my latest acquisition (a lovely little Pug. 106), the thing about cars is they all just un-bolt and as-long as you are methodical and can remember where all the bolts go back then it's not really hard...
I have had to learn how cars work from a very early age simply because of financial constraints (too poor!) we couldn't afford to pay other people to fix our cars, infact my Mom could barely afford to legally run a car so I HAD to learn how to do it.
Nowadays, with all the information available on the internet, I doubt you would learn any thing more from any college course.
-
WOW we have an ed*t button! :y
-
i learned by buying project cars, bought one for £300, had a go doing things on it as it was not my pride and joy, not scared to touch things like brakes. Put most of it back together & sold it for £800 ;D
-
i learned by buying project cars, bought one for £300, had a go doing things on it as it was not my pride and joy, not scared to touch things like brakes. Put most of it back together & sold it for £800 ;D
An excellent way to learn imho...... :y
-
I learnt from my grandfather and father, on older engines obviously ::)
Then on my own cars... My first car was a non running Metro that I stripped and rebuilt before passing my test. Next few cars needed constant attention because they were an "upgrade" bought cheap and rebuilt :y
Eventually, after many years of tinkering and tackling more involved jobs, I got a job in a garage, passed a mot testers course (top of class ::)) and was doing roadside and recovery as well :y
-
all depends on your learning style imo
people process info differant ways. i need to be hands on to learn, so class rooms are pointless, for example .
-
all depends on your learning style imo
people process info differant ways. i need to be hands on to learn, so class rooms are pointless, for example .
Yep, I prefer to be hands on :y Funnily enough, in the garage I was better at getting the diagnostic machine working on cars, the other chap was better at interpreting it (at the time) so we generally did electronic diagnostics together :y It also passed the time better for us ::)
Used to wind the boss lady up if we decided to go and do a Police job together though because it meant the old boy had to do the MOT's and he was slow ::)
-
You can't beat experience ;)